 | Issue: | Latin America IV 2001 |
| Article no.: | 14 | |
| Topic: | Is Our Life Easier Nowadays? | |
| Author: | Victor Reis | |
| Title: | President | |
| Organisation: | Unisys Brasil Ltda | |
| PDF size: | 20KB |
About author
Not available
Article abstract
How can we evaluate the impact caused by the evolution of the Information Technology and Communication in Brazil? No doubt, we can look at this through the significant improvement achieved in life quality. We might also look at the cultural change of the Brazilian community, its people and their relationship with their government. Brazil’s government, once considered to be merely the manager of an increasingly troubled scenario, has now assumed an active role in its transformation.
Full Article
Economic globalisation, the evolution of technology and the privatisation of communications services are among the factors responsible for this change. Perhaps the most important factor, though, is the general recognition that the government is now the key element driving the country’s development and improving the quality of life of its citizens. In the 1990s, the Information communication technology (ICT) business produced significant national growth. It began with the modernisation of the banking business. Today it has evolved to become an agent for knowledge transformation and the breaking of frontiers. In a country of continental dimensions such as Brazil, satellites now reduce geographical barriers and help to unify the country by disseminating our cultural values. This is one of the best, true, examples of what Marshall McLuhan referred to as ‘the global village’. Let us look into what I call the transformation agents for future generations. These agents will be the keys to developing in our schools-to prepare the youth for the future-a full awareness of the need for intensive and integrated use of new technologies. In the health sector, the ‘transformation agents’ are generating new social policies determined by the need to reduce child mortality and improve youth health indexes. The Brazilian Government fully recognises the ability of ICT to generate social benefits and has wholeheartedly incorporated ICT in many of the huge social projects it has sponsored for the benefit of its citizens. Let us consider the impact that the some of Government’s projects are having on Brazilian society: During the past decade, Brazil focused increasingly upon building a solid communications infrastructure. The process brought significant benefits, well beyond the original goals. This process promoted the nation-wide integration of ‘edge communities’-especially those of the Amazon region and the North of Brazil-and fostered the natural integration, and co-existence, of regional cultures. The 8,500 branches of the Brazilian Post Office will, through the use of technology, make a number of important services available to citizens and businesses: o Internet access; o banking and postal transactions; o e-mail boxes; o file transfer and certification (hybrid post). I have no doubt that the development of these activities will, in short order, reduce some of the unfortunately large gaps in Brazilian society. Instead of playing its traditional, bureaucratic, managerial role, Brazil’s government is becoming an active partner of the community and an active agent and facilitator of development. The change in the government’s attitude, and its investment in the education of future generations, is driving corresponding changes in the industrial community’s profile as well. This transformation, though, is a long-term process that will require some time to be fully assimilated by society. It is worth mentioning some of the more important government initiatives that are driving the country’s transformation: Electronic Voting In 1996, the Brazilian Government started to implement electronic voting. The installation of 78,000 electronic ballot boxes in the most important cities of the country, totalling 35 million voters, changed the whole electoral process. In 2000, the process was concluded with the installation of 360,000 additional ballot boxes. Brazil became the first country in the world with a totally electronic voting process. The system now serves all of the country’s 114 million voters. It is worth mentioning that voting in Brazil is obligatory. Unisys developed and implemented Brazil’s first electronic ballot box in 1996. Public Information Services The demands of Brazilian society have led to the installation of self-service multimedia terminals in a variety of public places and government facilities. Using these terminals the public can access the Internet to communicate with government agencies, such as the Social Security Agency, with utility companies, police departments, traffic bureaus and the like. This year, more than 11 million people filed their Brazilian income tax returns using the Internet. ComprasNet The Brazilian Government’s Data Processing Services Bureau, in partnership with Vesta Technologies, installed a fully integrated electronic commerce system for the Brazilian Federal Government’s Ministry of Planning. This system is now processing acquisitions worth nearly US$7 billion per year. The system applies e-business and e-procurement procedures to the public bidding for the acquisition by the government of ordinary products and services. The system called ComprasNet (www.comprasnet.gov.br) is intended to reduce the cost of government acquisitions by at least 25 per cent. The Brazilian government has approximately 140,000 registered suppliers. It is estimated that at least 2,000 public sector agencies will benefit using the new system. Flight Security Brazilian Government is sponsoring one of the world’s largest flight security projects. In order to protect the country and ensure the security of the nation’s airspace, a vast network (linked together by telecommunications) of ground-based and airborne radars, environmental monitors, optical, infrared and satellite-based sensors, weather radars and stations is being installed. It will serve as the core of the most modern environmental and airspace surveillance system in the world. Called Sivam, this billionaire project will provide the Brazilian government with the capability of collecting and processing extensive data from the Amazon region. This information will be made available to Brazilian agencies for use in protecting the sensitive environment of the rainforest, improving air safety, increasing the accuracy of weather forecasting, assisting in the detection, prevention and control of epidemics and ensuring effective law enforcement and border control. Speak Out, Citizen The Government of the State Rio de Janeiro has launched an On-Line Service called ‘Fala Cidadão’ (Speak Out, Citizen). The service is intended to provide a direct communication channel between the people and the state government. The service, based upon a CRM-Customer (Citizen) Relationship Management-software tool specifically developed for this purpose, is expected to speed up the government’s decisions, and is one of the starting-points for the implementation of a totally electronic government. The integration, through CRM, allows the government to standardise its service profile to receive requests, orders and complaints by phone, e-mail or letter. This automation should considerably reduce the time it takes for citizens to get feedback on their queries. Based on surveys, the system gives the government an interactive management channel with its citizens which it can use to base its decisions. The ‘Interlegis’ Network In February 2001, Brazil’s Congress held the first videoconference session that gathered together the state legislatures of the entire country. The event marked the inauguration of the ‘Interlegis’ network, an ambitious technological project being developed by the public administration. It will integrate Brazil’s Congress and state legislatures in the country’s largest multi-service IP network. The Interlegis network connects the country’s 27 state legislatures and 550 legislative councils within a virtual legislative community enabling videoconferences and the permanent exchange of information between the Union and its legislative councils. The project’s goal is to speed the submission of legislative processes and give the taxpayer transparent, total, access to the progress of legislative business. Citizens will be able to access an Internet portal, track performances of their Congressmen and communicate with them by e-mail. A revolution in public administration is taking place as e-government grows. E-government facilitates the citizen’s access to government services. It also increases the political transparency of government processes and serves, as well, as an important source of information supporting the formulation of fiscal policy. Today, a citizen can access a government Internet portal to pay his taxes, apply for a driving licence or even to keep track of his son’s grades on high school examinations. He can also check and see if the taxes he paid are being well spent by the government or contact the police. Conclusion What can we expect from all these changes? Technology is democratising knowledge, giving people access to information, giving them freedom of choice and an opportunity to practise their citizenship in a more equitable society and providing conditions for a better life.
